With the New York Giants starting off the week by franchise tagging Leonard Williams for $16.126 million, the next move is to rebuild the secondary and allocate more toward the pass-rusher position. Whether the Giants elect to invest big-money in Jadeveon Clowney or take a more cost-effective route with Markus Golden, we will see a minor shift in the defensive front, but it also comes down to the cornerback position.
One of the significant reasons the Giants’ defense struggled in 2019 was due to their young secondary, who struggled immensely for the earlier portion of the season. The lack of coverage time per snap directly affected the pass-rush success rate, and meanwhile, Golden still managed 10.0 sacks, and rookie Oshane Ximines finished with 4.5 sacks over minimal playing time.
The priority will be to sign a new No. 1 corner after the Giants cut Janoris Jenkins last year — there are several good options available in free agency:
The New York Giants could pursue recently cut No. 1 corner:
Desmond Trufant, was cut by the Atlanta Falcons on Monday morning, is not on the open market. After missing seven games in 2019, Atlanta found it more appropriate to save the cap space on his deal than continue paying him in 2020. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not a quality player who can fill a need for Big Blue.
Prior to his injury in 2019, Trufant missed just one game in two seasons. Over 2019-18, he posted an average completion percentage of 62.5 with four interceptions and 19 passes defended. He can be a reliable alternative to Byron Jones if the Giants miss out on him on the open market — either due to high price tag or desire to play elsewhere.
Other corners available include Logan Ryan and James Bradberry, but there will be strong markets for both. Hopefully, Big Blue can find a solid corner to hold down the top spot while DeAndre Baker continues to develop in a secondary role.